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Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Smoked Salmon and Courgette / Zucchini Pasta

Now that September is here, it's back to university for me!

That means... lots of lectures to go to, lots of reading to do, lots of work, work and work! So therefore, less time (and money!) to spend on meals. Those summer days of eating out all day everyday are over =( But cooking doesn't have to be a chore. If the meals are easy and quick, yet cheap and delicious, it is more than enjoyable!

Courgettes or zucchinis are a great summer vegetable and before it goes out of season soon, I want to share a super simple recipe with you!

Only four ingredients needed: dried pasta, smoked salmon trimmings, a courgette, and a lemon.

We'll start off by slicing the courgette. Give it a good wash, because we'll be leaving the skin on, and grab a peeler.

Then, 'peel' off slices of courgette. This is so much quicker and easier than using a knife (especially, if you're prone to cutting yourself instead of your target object, like me)!

You'll then get beautifully uniform and thin slices of courgette, which will cook in seconds!

At this point, start cooking your pasta. (You could even start cooking your pasta at the beginning of the recipe, if you're speedy with the peeler)

Back to the courgettes, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the slices.

Adding the oil to the courgettes, instead of to the pan, means that you use less oil, and you're able to coat each slice much more evenly.

Heat up a frying pan on medium-high heat, and when it's hot, lay down the slices of courgette one by one. The bigger the pan you have, the more you can lay down at once!

After 15-20 seconds, when they start to become transparent and brown a little, flip them over to fry the other side as well. The easiest way to do this is with chopsticks! But I'm sure tongs would work fine too.

Another 15 seconds on the other side will be enough, then take the slices off and set them aside. Repeat with all the remaining slices. Although it seems like a lot of effort, once you get the hang of it, it's really quite quick.

When the pasta is done, drain it, and add it back to the frying pan with the slices of courgette.

Give it a quick stir, take it off the heat, and add in the smoked salmon. Smoked salmon trimmings are perfect for those on a student budget. It's cheap (£1.50 a pack of 120g at Tesco!), but the smokiness of the salmon makes it feel so much more luxurious, and it doesn't matter that its in little bits either!

Mix it all together, the heat from the pasta and courgettes will be enough to heat up the salmon, without cooking it completely.

Cut your lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. Add it to your pasta, give it all a good toss and your meal is ready!

Dish it all up, serve it with some extra lemon wedges, some black pepper and even some cherry tomatoes if you want!